Special to The
New York Times, Page 67
Feb. 15, 1967
ALBANY, Feb.
14-Governor Rockefeller announced today the signing of a contract to link the
state's five independent educational television stations in a statewide hookup
to be known as the New York Network.
The network,
scheduled to be in operation by this fall, will reach as many as 11 million
viewers from Long Island to Buffalo, state and educational television officials
said. The contract between the state's Office of General Services and the New
York Telephone Company calls for the annual leasing over a 10-year period of
microwave facilities to be built by the telephone company.
Mr. Rockefeller
said the telephone company had asked the Federal Communications Commission for
permission to erect about 20 microwave transmission towers from New York City
to Buffalo. The state's cost of running the network was estimated at $666,080 a
year - $271,080 for leasing the microwave facilities, $215,000 for leasing
control equipment, and $180,000 for staffing and operations. "This will be
another New York first---the first statewide interconnection of live broadcasts
by noncommercial stations with programs for the general audience," Mr.
Rockefeller said. The network will be administered by the State University of
New York through an operations center to be built in the Alfred E. Smith State
Office Building here.
Programing
policy is to be determined by a program representing each of the stations.
The network will
provide two-way broadcast transmission facilities, capable of carrying programs
in color, to link WNDT, Channel 13, New York City; WMHT, Channel 17,
Schenectady; WCNY, Channel 24, Syracuse; WXXI, Channel 21, Rochester, and WNED,
Channel 17, Buffalo. Other stations can be added as they become operational.
Initially the stations' program committee plans to use the network five days a
week, from 8 A.M. to 11 P.M., with tentative plans for an additional period
Saturdays. Announcing the plans for the network with the Governor were Dr.
Samuel Gould, chancellor of the state university, and Dr. James E. Allen Jr.,
state education commissioner.
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